What we learned from investigators on Tuesday
FBI details allegations against U.S. resident linked to Tumbler Ridge killings
In a news conference on Tuesday, U.S. investigators alleged that James Cody Bryant of Washington state gave advice and money to the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass killer and even offered to livestream the attack on Facebook. Bryant is charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
We’ve learned many new details about the months leading up to the Tumbler Ridge shooting from today’s news conference with U.S. and Canadian law enforcement about Bryant’s arrest, and the release of the criminal complaint against Bryant.
Law enforcement officers said a cross-border investigation began after the RCMP received information from Discord, one of the online platforms used by Van Rootselaar. The criminal complaint says Discord voluntarily shared information with the RCMP about conversations between accounts believed to belong to Van Rootselaar and Bryant talking about weapons and co-ordinating the attack.
A search warrant for Bryant’s Discord account was issued in Washington state in March after Bryant refused to consent to having messages shared with the FBI, the criminal complaint says. It adds that Bryant was interviewed by the FBI later that month and told agents the pair met online about three years ago and kept in touch off and on through the years.
The criminal complaint suggests Van Rootselaar started planning the attack in or before August 2025, and spoke about her plans with Bryant almost daily.
About six months prior to the mass shooting, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she had stolen guns and ammunition from her family’s gun safe and was hiding them in preparation, the court document says.
Bryant and Van Rootselaar also discussed livestreaming the killings, and did a test run on Jan. 4, about a month before the shootings happened, the criminal complaint says.
At today’s news conference, acting U.S. attorney Neil Floyd said there was an attempt to livestream the shooting on Twitch but it was shut down after about 20 seconds.
Investigators said on the day of the attack, after Van Rootselaar had shot dead her mother and half-brother, Bryant allegedly advised her how to get her car to start — enabling her to drive to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and carry out the rest of her plan.
Floyd said Bryant had the knowledge and ability to alert law enforcement about Rootselaar’s plans, but chose not to.
“Instead, he encouraged and offered assistance to a murderer,” Floyd said.
Bryant appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle soon after the authorities’ news conference. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 20.
If you’re affected by this report, you can look for mental health support through resources in your province or territory. Information on specific community support for Tumbler Ridge residents can be found here.